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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26368069">Shy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/zmethos/pseuds/zmethos'>zmethos</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cardcaptor Sakura</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:00:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,584</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26368069</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/zmethos/pseuds/zmethos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>One day after school, Sakura advises Yukito that, if he really does love her brother, he will have to be the one to make the first move.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kinomoto Touya/Tsukishiro Yukito</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>100</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Shy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Yukito-san,” Sakura said as she stirred the pancake batter, “Touya-nii-chan is shy. If you want to know how he feels, you’re going to have to be the one to say something.”</p>
<p>His usual cheerful smile never faltered. “I know. Let me help you with that.”</p>
<p>“No, it’s okay,” Sakura told him. “Please. As a guest, you should—”</p>
<p>The sound of the front door opening cut Sakura’s words short. “<i>Tadaima</i>. Hmm? Yuki’s shoes?”</p>
<p>Touya entered the kitchen. “Sakura, why are you making Yuki cook for you?”</p>
<p>“Huh?! I’m not!”</p>
<p>With a sigh, Touya set his school bag on a chair. “I’ll do it. Yours are never fluffy enough.”</p>
<p>Sakura drew in air, ready to protest. But then she noticed something. As Touya joined them, Yukito’s smile relaxed into something less vibrant yet more genuine. He looked up at her brother with undisguised admiration. Surely Touya-nii-chan saw it too?</p>
<p>If he did, he didn’t let on. Not even a blush. Touya just stepped in and took over flipping the pancakes as Yukito poured batter. Sakura had never realized it before, but her brother was always completely at ease around Yukito.</p>
<p>Well, they were best friends. Sakura thought about her relationships with her friends, who she was most comfortable around. But it wasn’t the same. The way Touya behaved next to Yukito was akin to what Sakura imagined married people being like.</p>
<p>Married?!</p>
<p>“Sakura-chan? Are you all right?”</p>
<p>She struggled to make a cheerful face and hoped her burning cheeks weren’t too red. “Yes! I-I just remembered some homework I forgot to do is all.”</p>
<p>“It’s probably math,” said Touya. “Sakura is terrible at math.” He piled a few pancakes on a plate and held it out to her. “Here. You’ll fail if you do homework on an empty stomach.”</p>
<p>Sakura again squelched her irritation and accepted the plate. It smelled delicious, and Touya really did make the best pancakes. Still, Sakura wished he would let her practice so that she could get better at it, too.</p>
<p>“<i>Itadakimasu</i>,” she murmured before eating. As she chewed, she watched her brother stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his friend. Yukito-san glowed with pleasure.</p>
<p>Glow… Yue…</p>
<p>Sakura started in her seat. Yukito might love Touya, but what did Yue think of him? What would Touya do if he ever found out? Sakura tried to picture explaining Clow Reed and the cards and Yue and Kero to her practical older brother but couldn’t. He’d think she was joking and tease her.</p>
<p>“They can’t taste that bad.”</p>
<p>Sakura was jolted from her reverie by Touya and Yukito sitting down across from her with their own plates.</p>
<p>“What’s that face?” Touya asked her.</p>
<p>She shoved another bite into her mouth. “Nothing. It’s delicious, like always.”</p>
<p>Touya seemed satisfied with this answer, but Yukito appeared concerned. “Are you really that worried about math?” he asked.</p>
<p>“N-no!” Sakura shook her head. She looked at her brother, nonchalantly eating and not seeming to know anything about the way the boy next to him felt. Though she could read Touya well in many ways, in other ways his heart stayed hidden.</p>
<p>Yukito’s gaze followed hers, and he seemed to comprehend. “It’s all right,” he told Sakura.</p>
<p>“Hmm?” Touya asked, noticing he had become the center of attention. “Is something wrong with the pancakes? They taste fine to me.”</p>
<p>Sakura quickly stuffed the remainder of her pancakes into her mouth, jumped up from her chair, and grabbed her plate and fork. As she went to put them in the sink, she whispered in Yukito’s ear: “Tell him.”</p>
<p>Then she skipped out of the room.</p>
<p>“I cooked so you should wash!” Touya called after her. He sighed.</p>
<p>“I’ll help you clean up,” Yuki said.</p>
<p>“You shouldn’t have to,” said Touya. “But thank you.” He paused. “Are you staying to do homework?”</p>
<p>“I don’t want to be a bother.” Yuki studied Touya’s profile and wondered if he would ever find the right moment. Touya was so guarded. He was easy to talk to about just about anything; if Yuki had wanted to admit feelings for any other person, he could confide in Touya, and Touya would listen. But when it came to Touya’s own feelings—aside from his intense devotion to his family—he never said or showed anything.</p>
<p>Yet Touya always knew when something was troubling Sakura… or Yuki. Now, he eyed Yuki and asked, “Yuki, what’s wrong?”</p>
<p>Yuki felt his chest tighten and the hot tingle of tears threaten his eyes. <i>Why?</i> he wondered. Why did this make him feel like he was choking?</p>
<p>“Yuki? Are you ill? Do you need medicine? A doctor?”</p>
<p>Touya’s obvious concern only tightened Yuki’s throat further. He shook his head, but words could not escape.</p>
<p>“Yuki…”</p>
<p>He met Touya’s gaze. He’d never seen Touya look so helpless except when he worried for Sakura. Did he see Yuki as a brother?</p>
<p><i>Don’t cry</i>, Yuki told himself. <i>Don’t give Touya more reasons to worry.</i> He dragged in a breath and asked, “Touya, has anyone ever confessed to you?”</p>
<p>Touya blinked, clearly surprised by the question. “Yes, but…” He paused, seemingly to untangle a mental thread. “Yuki, I know…”</p>
<p>Yuki’s breath stopped.</p>
<p>“…that you have feelings for Sakura, and she loves you, too. I just ask that you wait until she’s older.”</p>
<p>“S-Sakura?” Yuki felt dazed, as though he’d been hit over the head with something heavy. “You think I love Sakura?”</p>
<p>Touya pushed back in his chair, stood, and collected their dishes and silverware. “It’s okay,” he said. “Really. Dad will be pleased, too, if you’re just willing to wait.”</p>
<p>“No!” Yuki blurted.</p>
<p>Touya drew back, his expression wary. “No?”</p>
<p>“I mean, I do care for Sakura-chan,” Yuki said. “But I don’t… I mean…”</p>
<p>Touya’s countenance went from uncertain to severe. “You don’t want to wait?”</p>
<p>Nothing for it but to make himself clear. “You’re the one! I love Touya. Not Sakura.”</p>
<p>Yuki could hear nothing but the pounding of his own heart, the blood rushing through his system roaring in his ears. The edges of his vision went gray and he felt faint. He thought he would slide off his chair, but then hands were holding his shoulders and propping him up.</p>
<p>“Yuki.”</p>
<p>He had trouble lifting his head. He was afraid what he might see in Touya’s face. Pity? Disgust? No, Touya would be gentle with his rejection, but that wouldn’t make it less painful to Yuki’s heart.</p>
<p>“Yuki, I…”</p>
<p>Yuki braced himself for the blow.</p>
<p>“I love you, too.”</p>
<p>Yuki looked up, blinking. “T-Touya…”</p>
<p>“But for now, I have to clean up.” He brushed his lips against Yuki’s forehead. “Then we should do our homework.”</p>
<p>As Touya went to the sink, Yuki pressed his fingertips to the place the kiss had been, as though it were a sticker and he wanted to make sure it stayed put. Sakura was right; Touya was shy. Too shy to talk openly about how he felt. Or maybe he thought there was nothing to discuss?</p>
<p>“Let me help you,” Yuki said. He got up, slowly, testing the trembling in his legs. Once he was sure they would hold him, he joined Touya.</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Touya said. He started to smile, but it melted into a frown. “Sakura will be disappointed, though.”</p>
<p>“Maybe not,” said Yuki. “I think it will make Sakura-chan happy to see you happy. And I think there is someone she likes more than me anyway.”</p>
<p>“That brat,” said Touya.</p>
<p>Yuki laughed. “You will never stop looking after her, will you? But, you know, she—”</p>
<p>“She can do a lot on her own. I know. I’m just not ready for her not to need me yet.”</p>
<p>“She will always need you,” Yuki said. “Maybe in different ways than when she was little, but she will always need her big brother. And, if you’ll let me, I can help you watch out for her.”</p>
<p>Touya looked at Yuki out of the corner of his eye in a way that suggested he knew something he wasn’t telling. <i>Well</i>, Yuki thought, <i>I can’t expect too much in one day. For today, this is enough.</i></p>
<p>“Maybe she will listen to you when she won’t to me,” said Touya as he set the last plate in the dish drainer. “Or maybe you can be there when I can’t be.</p>
<p>“Come on, then. I have a lot of history homework,” Touya went on. He grabbed their bags from the kitchen chair they’d been piled on and handed Yuki his.</p>
<p>“Touya…”</p>
<p>“Hm?”</p>
<p>“Is it…? I mean, are we…?” He sighed. Touya wasn’t the type to move fast. He would wait for Yuki to come to him, show him he was ready. The kiss on the forehead had been a promise, like a door cracked open. But to get inside, Yuki would have to push that door the rest of the way.</p>
<p>In two strides, Yuki crossed to where Touya stood and kissed him properly. Touya didn’t flinch. His mouth melted right into Yuki’s until they seemed like one entity, no barriers between them, nothing to delineate them one from another. When they parted, it was by unspoken concordance, as natural as a wave retreating from the sands of the beach.</p>
<p>“I guess we are,” Touya said quietly. “If that’s what you want.”</p>
<p>“Is it what you want?” Yuki asked.</p>
<p>Touya nodded slowly. “Also…”</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>“I really want a good grade in history, so…” He turned to go upstairs.</p>
<p>“Yes!” said Yuki, as he hurried to follow. <i>Maybe</i>, he thought, <i>I can stay the night.</i></p>
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